


Muddied Waters

by bgn846



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Iggy packs his bag with precision, M/M, Pining, Prompto gets in his own head again, Rainstorms are hazardous, Sleepy Cuddles, Snuggling, Some kissing, gladio saves the day, promptio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-13
Updated: 2018-06-13
Packaged: 2019-05-21 23:09:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14924612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bgn846/pseuds/bgn846
Summary: Gladio and Prompto go for a run but the storm of the century decides to descend upon them and make someone's feelings come to the surface.  Gladio gets a chance to help Prompto and make him feel loved.





	Muddied Waters

**Author's Note:**

> So this was a bit different in my head then what came out on paper. Didn't want it to get this long but whats done is done.

Gladio didn’t dislike the rain but when it turns into a torrent with nasty wind gusts and a wicked lightning display to go along with it that generally will make being out in said rain storm not as much fun. 

He and Prompto had gone out for a mid-morning run from the hotel since there were some nice trails that backed up to the place from the nearby forest.  It was daylight with not a rain cloud in sight when they left but near the end of the run an hour later the sky was a dark menacing blue and they could both hear the thunder getting louder and louder. 

They had stopped on the trail briefly to take a breather and then the heavens opened and not gradually.  It was like all the astrals had turned on every faucet they had and started pouring water on the very place where Gladio and Prompto were standing. 

“Shit!  This is crazy!” Gladio yelled over to Prompto to try and be heard over the pounding of the rain. 

“Should we look for cover and wait it out?” Prompto hollered back.

“Nah, little rain never hurt anybody!” Gladio proclaimed right as a lightning bolt struck somewhere close by. “I only specified rain not that!” He added with wide eyes. “Let’s run back and see who gets there first.”

“Are you sure? The trail will be muddy now and we might trip.” Prompto worried.

Gladio sighed “It’s all good, no worries. I understand, you think you don’t stand chance against me.”

Prompto sputtered “Nah that’s not it at all! I just…”  He didn’t have anything to add, he knew he would lose an all-out race back to the hotel but that wasn’t the reason for not wanting to do it.  He was a little freaked out by the ongoing storm that had already soaked them both through to the skin. 

“Do you want to or not?” Gladio asked with a wicked grin.

“Fine.” Prompto sighed after a moment. He didn’t want to disappoint Gladio. They had been able to go running more together over the past months and that time alone together had helped strengthen their friendship more than Prompto thought possible.  He had soon realized that the feelings he wasn’t sure he had for Gladio were in fact, there, and he was trying to work up the courage to tell him that he liked him, a lot.  He was pretty sure not agreeing to his crazy idea was tantamount to a future rejection.

“Let’s go! I’ll give you a head start.” Gladio bowed to him which looked ridiculous considering his hair was plastered to his face and his running sweats and hoodie were just clinging to his muscles instead of hanging freely like they should.  

Prompto looked at him once more and then took off running as best he could despite the horrid conditions.  Which now included low visibility that neither of them had really pondering standing in one spot discussing the idea earlier. 

It didn’t take more than a minute for Gladio to race past Prompto and they just continued on their trek wiping water out of their eyes every few seconds to see better, which didn’t help.

Gladio rounded a corner in the trail and finally caught sight of the hotel, they had made it!  He whirled around to smile at Prompto since he had in fact won, not that he figured the outcome would be different.  However Prompto never came around the bend.  Gladio waited a bit longer hoping he just had a much larger lead then he had expected and that Prompto would come running around the corner. 

Gladio flinched when a really loud thunderclap let loose in the sky as he ran to get a clear view past the bend in the trail and his heart skipped a beat, Prompto was nowhere in sight.

He was a trained shield, he didn’t panic, but it was really hard to tell his brain that right now, this was his fucking fault he should have never recommended a race.   He remained as calm as could and started flushing through possible situations.  Prompto could have stopped and taken a rest but he would have called out ahead to let Gladio know, unless he didn’t hear him.  That thought made his heart wrench a little bit.

He could have tripped and gotten delayed but he would have been in sight now if that were the case.  He was starting to get very worried and was running the trail back to where they started to look for Prompto.   He had gotten maybe 20 meters down the trail and stopped when he realized the path had gotten narrower than before.  He stared at it trying to figure out what had happened when it dawned on him that a 2 meter section of the trail had slid down the hill. 

Shit!  That was not a good thing.  What if Prompto had been running on that section when it slid?  His heart was racing now as he scoured the hillside for signs of life.  He would never forgive himself if something happened to Prompto.   The rain had not let up and the lack of visibility was really irritating to deal with.  He stopped for a second and closed his eyes and took a deep breath.  Prompto needed him right now and he needed to be calm. 

Gladio finally heard it then, the faint yelling.  He nearly dropped to his knees when he recognized the voice.  “Prompto!” He shouted as he looked again hoping to spot him.  This time he had success, he noticed Prompto another 8 meters or so down the hill at the end of the mud slide on his back.

He could tell Prompto was trying to look up the hill to see Gladio but he didn’t waste any time waiting for a reaction and found a somewhat easy way down to the base of the hill and ran over to Prompto skidding to a halt on his knees just beside him. 

“Please tell me you’re not hurt!” Gladio pleaded.  The look Prompto gave him was one of relief mixed with terror.  “No! wait… I.. I very much mean YES,  tell me if you’re hurt! I didn’t mean it like that.” He amended.  The look of terror faded instantly and Prompto just laid his head back in the mud and he started to sob. 

Watching Prompto laying there in the mud crying because of a bad idea he had was undoing his psyche.  He just wanted to hold him and tell him everything would be alright but he never answered his first question regarding injury. 

“I…I..’m o.k.” Prompto struggled to say in-between sobs.  “I didn’t think you were coming back for me... I’m just relieved you heard me yelling finally.”

“Where are you hurt?” Gladio asked quickly after realizing that Prompto was still in shock and wasn’t thinking straight.

“M..m..my ankle” He sputtered.

“K, which one? I’m going to give you a piggy back ride back to the hotel, it’s nearby and we will get you fixed up.  O.k?”

Prompto pointed to his right foot and Gladio could tell instantly that something was amiss.  It was too lumpy and looked slightly off angle to the rest of his leg.   

“Can you stand for me? I’ll help.” Gladio asked.

Prompto nodded and began to sit up slowly, Gladio carefully placed his arm around Prompto’s back and helped him stand up on his good leg.  “Now just hang on and I’ll hoist you up on my back o.k.”Gladio said looking at Prompto.

They managed to get situated and Gladio began the thankfully short trip back to the hotel.  All the while the storm from the seventh level of hell was still raging around them.   Though his priorities had shifted so he didn’t pay it much mind and just wanted to get Prompto back to the hotel and taken care of.   He could feel the blonde shaking as he clung to his back most likely from the cold setting in from the rain and the adrenalin rush wearing off.

Gladio kicked the door to the room but there was no answer.  Where the hell were Noct and Iggy? Then he remembered Iggy mentioned something about going to the local market to buy food.  He started to fumble in his pocket for the hotel key without jostling the blonde too much and finally made it into the room.  Kicking the door shut with a huff as he b-lined it for the bathroom. 

Prompto flinched when he slammed the door shut.  “It’s ok Prom, I’m just moving fast don’t get worried.” Gladio spit out.

He moved into the bathroom and spun around to sit Prompto on the edge of the tub.  When he turned around he had to catch him from falling back into the wall and into the empty tub.  “C’mere let’s get you sitting on the ground.” Prompto let him just lift him under the arms and gently sit him on the floor leaning up against the side of the tub. 

He just looked dazed and Gladio knew he had to hurry.  He hoped that Iggy had a least one potion in his bag. That should hopefully be what was needed.  He rushed out of the bathroom and started to tear through Iggy’s bag and thank the six there was a potion.  He raced back to the bathroom and slid into the door frame with a painful thump when his shoes slipped on the wet floor from his dripping clothes. 

Gladio gut twisted at how fragile Prompto looked sitting on the floor shaking.  He was crying again, something was obviously bothering him and Gladio wasn’t sure it was just the pain from his ankle. “Prom, come on, its o.k. I have a potion just sit tight.”  He uncapped the bottle and poured it over his ankle and waited.  The green magic undulated through his ankle and things began to right themselves. 

Prompto gasped at the sudden relief from the pain. “I’m s…sorry. I didn’t mean to mess up our run.”

“What the hell are you talking about?!” Gladio hissed, he couldn’t help himself as he reached out and took a hold of Prompto’s arms and held him firm. “Look at me Prom. You have nothing to be sorry about, It was my stupid idea to go running like that on the trail in the rain.  It’s my fault you got hurt and I’m sorry I suggested that awful idea.”

Prompto just looked at Gladio with stunned eyes. “I just thought that you really wanted to and I didn’t want to disappoint you.”

“Prom you don’t disappoint me, you never have, maybe when you side with Noct, but otherwise never!” This at least got a small smile from Prompto. “Also, I will never leave you alone, I will always come looking for you no matter what.” Gladio stared at him with an expectant gaze hoping for some sort of reaction.

“I have a crush on you.” Prompto blurted out after a few moments of silence.  “I was worried you were going to be mad that I didn’t’ like your idea.” He bit his bottom lip after that and just stared at the floor. 

Gladio was a bit stunned by that admission.  He had suspected something was up but didn’t quite expect the revelation of it to be so abrupt. He took a moment to really look at the blonde sitting on the floor in front of him.  He was still shaking from the cold, soaking wet, and just dripping on the bathroom floor in a puddle.  He seemed so sweet and Gladio had often wondered about whether Prompto had feelings for him.  He took a deep breath and leaned in and kissed Prompto on the temple as gently as he could.

Prompto snapped his head up towards Gladio after he kissed him and he was blushing but he was also smiling.  He reached out finally and dragged Gladio into a big hug. “You mean it?” He asked breathlessly after a few seconds.

“Yeah Prom, I mean it. Now let’s get out of these wet clothes and cuddle on the bed until Iggy and Noct get back with food.”  

“Kay” Prompto responded sheepishly “You want help?”

Gladio snorted at that.  “You don’t waste any time!  Want to see who can strip faster?”

Prompto squeaked at that and turned a brilliant shade of red.  “Maybe we’ve had enough games for one day eh?”

“That’s what I thought.” Gladio responded grinning as he began peeling out of his running gear.  Prompto started doing the same until they were both in their boxers.   “Wait here I’ll grab us some dry things.”  He returned a few moments later with dry pants and t-shirts.  He grabbed a towel and gently rubbed Prompto’s hair dry and tugged him in for another kiss on his forehead.   

“What are we going to do about the mess?” Prompto asked worried since he knew that Ignis would just chop them up and serve them for lunch if he came back to this disaster.

“I’ll take care of it blondie, just relax, I’ve put you through enough today.  I’m just going to hug you and name you George for the rest of the night.”

Prompto just giggled at that.  “Who’s George?”

“Oh Lords, did you not watch cartoons when you were a kid? Never mind it’s not important just come here and let’s get you all wrapped up in a blanket on the bed o.k. You can watch me work.”

Gladio found a nice fluffy blanket in the closet and wrapped Prompto up in and picked him up and carried him over to the bed.

“You don’t have to carry me if you don’t want to.”

“I don’t mind, you need some TLC and I really messed up today and I want to make it up to you.  I meant it, that I’m not ever going to leave you alone o.k.” Gladio said still holding onto the bundle of blankets with Prompto tucked inside.  “You deserve to be happy, so just relax.”

Gladio could tell Prompto was blushing in his blanket roll.  He carefully placed him on the bed and went to work cleaning up the frightful mess they had left behind with the pile of soaked clothes and a random bottle of potion.  Then Gladio looked at Iggy’s bag, this was going to be more difficult.  The man packed his shit like he was going to win an award for it so he knew that anyway he repacked it would be inadequate.  He just sighed and forged ahead, the sooner he was done the sooner he could hug Prompto.  

Finally he was able to gingerly crawl on the bed and take a drowsy Prompto into his arms.  “Hey there suhshine, did you enjoy the show?”

“Hmmm” Prompto broke out of his roll a bit and snuggled up against Gladio’s side and hugged him. 

“Nap if you want, you comfortable?”

“mmmnnn”

“Guess that means yes.”  Gladio looked him all cozy and warm snuggled up next to him and his heart felt like it burst.  He reached over and grabbed his book and waited for the boys to get back but not before he ruffled Prom’s hair and elicited a soft moan out of him.  This made Gladio grin from ear to ear.  

After about 40 minutes he could hear the prince complaining about something on the other side of the door and then Iggy entered the room trying to rebuff whatever point Noct had made.

They both stopped short in front of the bed.  Noct looked confused and Iggy was processing things with his eyes darting about and finally landing on his bag. 

“Why may I ask did you have need of a potion?”     

Gladio rolled his eyes at Iggy’s power of observation. “Well… we went running, got caught in the storm, I almost killed Prompto, and so we had to use a potion.  I also kissed him so there’s that as well.” He finished with a rueful  look.

“Oh. Charming. Well then I suppose you both must be hungry I’ll get started on lunch.” Ignis quietly responded as he started to walk towards the kitchenette.

“Uh what exactly happened again?” Noctis asked with wide eyes.  He didn’t wait for Gladio to start talking as he ran over to the bed and plopped down with a grunt.

“Noct be careful he’s sleepin… OOOF!” Gladio sighed as Noct snuggled into his other side.

“Mhhnnn Hey Noct.” Prompto mumbled

"Gladdy kissed you!?” Noct asked excitedly.

Prompto instantly turned bright red and buried his head into Gladio’s chest moaning.  Gladio started laughing and hugged them both closer.  “Iggy will you please hurry up with lunch I can’t take these two right now!”    


End file.
